A Movie Script Ending
by Stokely
Summary: Peyton comes home from summer vacation with a little surprise. And that surprise is going to mix things up. LP, NH Chapter 7 is Up and it will have quite the shocking ending! READ READ READ... and review!
1. Introduction

Peyton comes back from summer break with a surprise. And that surprise has decided to mix things up. Romance: P/L, N/H and Brooke is a surprise.  
  
Author: Mickey (or Stokely)  
  
Rating: R (for later)  
  
Chapter: One. Introduction to new character. If you wanna jump right into the good stuff, and not really understand anything...skip to the next chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, WB does...damn them.  
  
Musical Choice for this Chapter: A Movie Script Ending by Death Cab for Cutie  
  
Rant (SPOILERS!!): I wrote this after watching 'What is and What Should Never Be'. I hate Nikki. I hate Lucas. Well, I don't hate Lucas, but damn is that boy stupid. He needs a leash. Nathan and Haley are so cute together, and I hope they never REALLY break up. Brooke can be a bitch, but she is nice, when she stood up for Peyton, she earned Brownie points in my books.  
  
Peyton, meanwhile, is my favorite OTH character, so obviously she rocks. I hope she does end up with Lucas...even if he's not in my good books right now. Something about them... I like them together. Besides, at the end, when she walked off, it was SO obvious that he wanted to be with her. She's not just a friend to him. She'd like a friend, lover complex thing. I support Leyton or Pucas (haha, okay Leyton sounds better), because you know you want it.  
  
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Peyton sighed as she pulled into the driveway, before not so gracefully letting her head fall against the horn. The girl beside her stared at her as if she'd gone crazy, before popping another skittle into her mouth.  
  
'Wow, all that relaxation just fell out of the bottom of the car on our drive home huh?' the girl said shaking her long straight blonde hair back over her shoulders. Peyton's head shifted so that she could shoot her a glare. The girl thought nothing of it.  
  
'You seem to be forgetting what getting home means.' Peyton said as she lifted her head and cupped her face in her hands. The girl nodded, looking out the window as she crumpled up the empty wrapper.  
  
'I know I know. Back to the drama that is Peyton Sawyer's life. You told me on the ride to Chayzee. You told me on the ride home. Oh and I seem to remember...oh yes, you may have said a few things while we were IN Chayzee.'  
  
'Okay, Shay, I get the point.' Peyton said heaving another sigh. 'I guess Tree Hill is a little hard to leave behind.' She looked through the windshield at her house. They were home. Back in Tree Hill after months of freedom. Shane may have exaggerated. She had told her all about Lucas, Brooke, Jake, Nikki (that bitch), Nathan and Haley, about Dan and Keith...but she'd been so relaxed and free when they'd been on vacation.  
  
She almost didn't want to come back home.  
  
'Okay, well, let's get inside. I don't know about you but I'm tired. Plus you have school tomorrow.' Shane unbuckled herself before crawling into the backseat and pulling her huge duffel bag up to the front and out of the car. Peyton got out, zombie like as she walked up to her own front door, then paused. Shane stared at her.  
  
'You know, it is okay if you unlock your own house. Unless you want to try knocking first?' Peyton shot Shay another glare. She was getting mouthier every minute. Peyton began searching her pockets for her keys.  
  
'Heavy bag... not getting any lighter...'  
  
'Shut up Shane.' Peyton pulled out the keys and unlocked the door, pushing open the heavy door. The house was dark, no lights were on. She walked inside, kicking off her shoes, and then made her way into the kitchen, throwing the keys on the counter. 'You remember where your room is...' she asked as she opened the fridge.  
  
'End of the hall, next to the linen closet.' Shane muttered as she took off her own shoes and threw them into the closet. She looked around, looking somewhat lost. Peyton felt a pang of guilt, which she tried to brush off. She took Shane's bag and rounded the corner, opening the last door at the end of the hall and throwing it on the bed.  
  
The bedroom was kind of stale. It had been turned into the guest bedroom since Shane left, a large queen size bed with red sheets and white and red striped duvet was against the middle of the wall. A mannequin body stood by the window, half a dress hanging off of it, long white drapes hanging from the window and billowing on the floor. Next to it was a big white 'chair for two' from the grandmother's house. A long mirror hung beside the bed, and a poster sized portrait of Scarlet and Rhett Butler hung above the bed.  
  
Peyton barely noticed the presence behind her.  
  
'It's been a while huh?' Shane said, breaking from her own reverie as she looked at her old room. Peyton nodded, leaning against the door frame. She felt Shane take her hand and lead her over to the bed. Simultaneously they fell down on it, side by side, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
'What am I going to do tomorrow?' Peyton asked, as she fiddled with her silver thumb ring. Shane shrugged, her head lulling to the side.  
  
'What am I going to do tomorrow?' Shane asked. Peyton bit her lip.  
  
'At least you don't have to go to school.' Peyton sighed. Shane laughed.  
  
'Yet. You can bet though, when some nosy adult hears that there's a sixteen year old not going to school, they pitch a fit to you.' She said as she turned to face Peyton who was nodding, a smile on her own face.  
  
'True.' She said simply. Shane looked back up at the ceiling.  
  
'So what are you going to do about Mr. Scott?' she said his last name with an edge. Peyton had basically told Lucas' character in a 'bad guy' sense. Even if she still had feelings for him, he'd been a jerk, and she knew it.  
  
'Don't know. I guess avoiding him will be a bit of a bitch. Before school ended, I found out I have Classical Civ with him.' Peyton inwardly groaned as she remembered this. Classical Civilization with Lucas Scott. The most boring class in the universe and she was stuck with him. She had a feeling she'd be dreading that class for the next few months.  
  
'Want me to beat him up for you?' Shane asked. Peyton giggled.  
  
'Yeah right. He's like 6'2 and a basketball player.'  
  
'So...I'm a 5'7 volleyball, soccer, basketball player...with a lot of rage.'  
  
'That is true...' Peyton said, her face perfectly serious. She was exhausted, her eyes closing slowly, before her head drooped to the side to see the clock on the wall said 1:24 am. She should get to bed, if she wanted to be extra perky tomorrow for her first day back at Tree Hill as a senior.  
  
'You can sleep here if you want.' Shane said yawning, as if reading Peyton's mind. Peyton smiled, as Shane pulled back the duvet and climbed under. She then grabbed Peyton's hand and pulled her up the bed, Peyton groaning the entire time, though a smile was securely placed on her face. Shane rolled her eyes, and finally got Peyton far enough up the bed so that she could cover them with the duvet.  
  
'I can't believe we're home.' Peyton said softly as she snuggled into a cushy pillow. Shane nodded.  
  
'I can't believe that I'M home.' She said breathing in the old scent of lime, lemon and vanilla that was her own. Peyton smiled and patted Shane's golden head.  
  
'I'm happy you're home, sis.' She said fondly, extra emphasis on the word 'sis'. Shane grinned at this.  
  
'I hate to admit it. But I'm glad to be here.' She shifted in the darkness, a sliver of light from the moon dancing across her olive face, her green eyes that matched her sister's glinting. 'But tell anyone and I'll have to hurt you.' Peyton gave one final laugh.  
  
'Deal.' 


	2. Why Can't I?

Peyton comes back from summer break with a surprise. And that surprise has decided to mix things up. Romance: P/L, N/H and Brooke is a surprise.  
  
Author: Mickey (or Stokely)  
  
Rating: R (for later)  
  
Chapter: Two. Lucas and Peyton meet up. Lucas and Shane face off (sort of). Seeds of conspiracy are planted.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, WB does...damn them.  
  
Musical Choices for this Chapter: Quicksand by Lillix Perfect World by The Weekend Why Can't I by Liz Phair  
  
Rant (SPOILERS!!): Okay, you've all read the rumors. I know there are people out there that totally support the Lucas-Haley romantic thing. BUT COME ON! It's like men and women can't be JUST friends. They have to fool around or be in love. I have hot guy friends, and when I think about doing anything boyfriendish with them...EW! I hope WB is smart and steers clear of the Haley Lucas thing. Lucas needs her to be his friend (considering all the stupid jackassed things he does, he REALLY needs her as a friend). So anyone sane (or who has a best friend who is a guy) yell to the hill tops! NO LALEY PLEASE!  
  
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Peyton's eyes opened blearily as she felt her skin burn. The hot sun's light, the remnants of summer, was dancing across her now only slightly tanned hip. She grumbled as she rolled over from the edge of the bed. She was in Shane's room, though Shane was not in bed anymore. The closet was open, and she could see that all of Shay's stuff was hung up and put away.  
  
Peyton sat up and stretched her thin arms above her head, before looking over at the clock. Shit, it was eleven forty-five. Gorgeous, she was late on her first day of school...or hell, it was all basically the same thing. She threw the covers off of her legs and slid off the bed, walking into her room.  
  
She came out five minutes later, dressed in a grey skirt with leather straps, an orange long sleeve light shirt, and black biker boots, twisting a curl around a finger as she tried to unknot a strand that had become tangled. She didn't feel like looking pretty today. What was the point?  
  
She wandered toward the kitchen, still a little tired. She hadn't had nearly enough sleep. She'd laid awake for hours after she heard Shane fall into a deep sleep. She watched her little sister and felt something deep inside her begin to flare up again. Guilt. She wondered if either Nathan or Luke felt this way ever. Damn, only awake ten minutes and she was already thinking of Lucas.  
  
As entered the kitchen, she saw her sister dancing around, singing to a ladle as if it were a microphone, listening to the radio, which wasn't blaring, surprisingly. She watched Shane from the doorway, shaking her boxer clad behind, and thought about how they looked alike, and yet different.  
  
Shane was a tiny bit shorter than her, her nose didn't turn up at the end, and she was skinny. She used to be a bit overweight, but since their father had been lost at sea, she'd lost tons of weight. Over the holiday Peyton had tried to force feed her, but that hadn't worked out well. Her face was a bit more heart shaped. Otherwise, the coloring was the same. The attitude was close. No one would think twice about whether or not they were related.  
  
Shane's hair was long and wavy (she'd probably washed it early that morning) and it swung as she continued dancing around the kitchen.  
  
'Please stop that, I'd like to maintain a shred of respect from the neighbors.' Peyton said, though her smile betrayed how funny she thought the scene was. Shane turned and flashed her a smile.  
  
'Yeah yeah, you know that I'm cool.' She said as she poured Peyton a glass of orange juice.  
  
'Why didn't you wake me up?' Peyton asked seriously before gulping down half the cup. Shane shrugged as she sipped her own juice and leaned against the counter.  
  
'You needed the rest. Besides, you had Classical Civ first, and I though you wouldn't care if you missed that.' She winked before she reached into the cupboard for a small bag of Fuzzy Peaches.  
  
'My hero.' Peyton said before downing the rest of the juice. 'Nice choice for breakfast by the way.' Shane never ate real food. Doritos, Sour Patch Kids, Krispy Kremes. That was all she ate. And she never ate much of them, which often led to Peyton nagging her to eat, though Peyt herself barely ate anything at all.  
  
'Can I borrow the car? I'm thinking of finding a job today.' She said as she popped two peaches into her mouth. Peyton cocked an eyebrow.  
  
'You don't have your license.'  
  
'Please, I've been driving since ninth grade, and believe me, I've had practice. I promise if I get a ticket, I'll pay it myself.' She said as she disappeared back down the hall, toward her room.  
  
'Fine, but if you're arrested, I'm not going to spring you from prison.' She yelled after her, putting her glass in the sink. Just then the doorbell rang. Peyton turned around and walked toward the front, absentmindedly straightening her skirt as she grabbed the doorknob and opened it.  
  
And there stood her worst nightmare in a blue tee-shirt and baggy jeans. Wearing his signature concerned look.  
  
'Lucas.' She said, trying to sound nonchalant, though she failed miserably. 'What are you doing here?' She knew very well what he was doing there, but she didn't want to give him the benefit of knowing that she thought he cared about her too.  
  
'You missed Classical Civ this morning.' He answer, pulling into /concerned friend/ mode. Peyton nodded trying to avoid his crystal blue eyes.  
  
'Yeah, I slept in. Long drive back from New York State.' To state the obvious. But it hadn't helped her sleep to go on her emotional rollercoaster earlier that morning either, when she'd contemplated Shane, Tree Hill...and him.  
  
'Oh.' He obviously hadn't thought about that, though even with this perfectly fine explanation, he still thought the root of the reason was himself. 'I see.'  
  
'Aren't you skipping class? On your first day?' she asked, folding her arms over her chest. He was; calculus to be precise.  
  
'Uh yeah...' He raked a hand through his spiky blonde hair, now feeling really dumb for freaking out just because Peyton hadn't been there for her first class.  
  
He'd come to school, eager to see her, to reconcile, or at least try. Before the break, she'd continued ignoring him. Or even more painfully, talking to him but more like a distant stranger would if they were trying making small talk to pass an uncomfortable silence. He thought that maybe after a nice relaxing summer, away from him, she might find that she could forgive him.  
  
He had walked down the hall with Haley and Nathan, who had his arm slung casually over her shoulder, toward the classroom for first period. Hales and Nathan had Law Studies and Nathan was groaning about how he must really love Haley to be doing this for her, and how he hoped this meant he'd be getting lucky for it (she had smacked him for that comment, beating Lucas to the punch), when Brooke sauntered down the hall, casually asking them if they'd seen Peyton.  
  
Luke spent the entire class, staring at the board, not thinking of Roman architecture or about the coliseums, but whether or not Peyton was okay. Or even worse, what if she hadn't come because she was still mad at him?  
  
Now he stood in front of her, and he felt not only dumb, but vulnerable. This gesture showed that he was still aching to be with her. He wanted to play it cool, keep the pressure off of her so maybe they could be friends...then tackle something more. So much for that plan.  
  
'Uh, thanks for checking though.' Peyton threw in, sensing how much Lucas felt like a dumbass right now. Sure she was still a little mad at him. But last night she had reasoned that if no one ever forgave (though she'd never forget) then she and Brooke wouldn't be friends again. And Peyton didn't want to be a hypocrite.  
  
'No problem.' He said, and the air became tense between them. Each hoped the other would break the silence, but as it turned out, neither had to.  
  
'Okay Peyt, I'm ready, let's get your ass to school.' Shane rounded the corner, stuffing a twenty into the back pocket of her favorite ripped-to- shit sand blasted jeans. She looked up and saw Peyton standing next to a good looking guy she'd never seen before. 'Hi.' She said looking from on to the other.  
  
The guy stared at her, finding her as shocking as she'd found him.  
  
'Hi.' He offered back, though he was frowning. He looked down at Peyton who was giving Shane her 'get-the-hell-out-of-here-now!' look. Shane however, didn't seem to get that message. That or she ignored it.  
  
'I'm Shane.' She said walking forward, standing next to Peyton. Luke blinked and looked from Shane, to Peyton and back again.  
  
'Um, I'm Luke.' He said stuffing his hands in his pockets. Then Shane's expression changed.  
  
'Luke. You're Luke? You're Luke. This is Luke?' She turned to Peyton, who by now looked as though she wanted to turn around and repeatedly bang her head against the doorframe. Instead she nodded, plastering a smile across her face. 'Oh...' Shane said a look of dawning crossing her face. She looked back at Lucas. 'Could you excuse us a second?' Before he could answer she slammed the door closed.  
  
'What are you doing?' Peyton asked.  
  
'What the hell are you doing?' Shane asked, the two sisters facing each other. 'I thought you were playing the avoid card for the next little while!'  
  
'Well, I think maybe holding a grudge this long is kind of childish. I thought maybe we should give being friends another go.' Peyton said realistically, placing her hands on her hips.  
  
'Oh really? And when did you decide this?' Shane asked with a raised eyebrow. Peyton paused a moment.  
  
'Just now.'  
  
'Peyton!'  
  
'Come on! Look, I can understand some people carrying a grudge for longer than four months...but we weren't even really dating. And we were just friends. And ... he's a guy!' Peyton said slapping her hand against the door as if to prove her point.  
  
'Your big defense is that he was born with the XY chromosome?' Shane asked, totally not buying it.  
  
'You say that like its not plausible.' Peyton said mirroring Shane by crossing her arms in front of her chest.  
  
'No, you're defending him because he's gorgeous and he's probably a good fuck as well. But come on Peyton, he screwed around with that Nikki bitch. And he was with Brooke. From what you're told me he's a little too overly friendly with anything wearing a skirt.'  
  
'He's changed.'  
  
'Really?'  
  
'Really.'  
  
'Really?'  
  
'Yes for the love of-' Peyton let out a frustrated sigh. 'Shay, hon, I love you, but you are way to annoying for your own good.'  
  
'How exactly do you know he's changed? You've been gone to New York for three months...remember? I was there.' Shane was frowning and gritting her teeth, trying to understand what Peyton was doing.  
  
'Brooke phoned. She told me about how he hasn't been with anyone since I left.' Peyton smiled at this, her cheeks blushing, her eyes becoming dreamy. 'He told every girl that tried anything with him that he was waiting for someone. Me, to be exact.' Shay rolled her eyes.  
  
'Someone get me a Graval. I think I'm gonna hurl.' Peyton glared at her. 'Peyton, you can't-'  
  
'Watch me.' With that Peyton gently pushed Shane aside and opened the door, giving Shane a warning glare. Lucas turned back around at the sound of the door opening.  
  
'Sorry about that, she has...problems.' Peyton stepped over the threshold and pulled the door closed. Lucas smiled and shook his head.  
  
'It's okay. Is she a cousin or something like that? You look a bit alike.' He said placing his hands back into his pockets. Peyton smiled.  
  
'Something like that. It's complicated.' She said shrugging, as all the old feelings rushed back to her in seconds. She felt the air change, from one of tense past relationships, to one of playful flirting and lingering eyes.  
  
'Maybe you could tell me about it on the way to school. If you need a ride.' He motioned to his car, giving a little bow. 'The chariot awaits.' Peyton tried to keep her smile down, but couldn't quite manage.  
  
'That'd be good. Just a second.' She knocked twice on the door, not breaking eye contact with Lucas. The door opened.  
  
'Yes, may I help you?' Shane asked leaning against the door, looking slightly peeved.  
  
'My keys are on the kitchen counter. If I find any dents in that car, I'll murder you in your sleep.' Peyton said casually. Shane smiled.  
  
'Charming.' She said pulling at the edge of her frayed white tank top that read "Be Sexy, it doesn't mean you have to have sex". Lucas felt a smile creep onto his face. He wondered if Peyton had told this Shane girl that she'd slept with him. Somehow, this Shane girl wasn't really giving off the impression she was totally innocent either.  
  
'It was nice sort of meeting you.' Lucas said, with a smile. Shane blinked. Oh hell yeah, he was sexy. No wonder Peyton had so much trouble getting over him. However Shane didn't blush or flinch, but gave her own smile.  
  
'Yeah...' Suddenly something in her head clicked and her smile grew, which tipped Peyton off that she had to get Lucas out of there NOW. But too late... 'You know, I was thinking that I should get to know Peyton's friends better by having a sort of get together... like dinner or something on Friday.' Shane flashed Peyton a pearly smile that wasn't at all meant as a sign of happiness. 'You should come. Haley and Nathan and Brooke too.'  
  
'You know them?' he said, glancing at Peyton from the corner of his eye. And from what he saw he knew that she had had no idea about this 'little get together'.  
  
'Well, only what Peyt has told me. I'd love to actually get to meet all of you though. Properly.' She tilted her head slightly, giving him her signature 'you-HAVE-to-do-what-I-ask' look. Peyton's eyes narrowed. 'If it wouldn't be too much trouble.' She added.  
  
'No, no that would be great.' Apparently Lucas was not immune to that look, and he'd fallen right into whatever trap she was setting. 'We better get going, I think that I'm already in for an ass kicking from my calculus teacher.'  
  
'Alright I'll be right there.' She said smiling at his as he turned and jogged over to his car. Peyton's smile disappeared as she whipped around to face a grinning Shane.  
  
'He seems nice.' Shay said cocking her head to the side.  
  
'I don't know what you're up to, but if I don't like it, you are so dead.'  
  
'What is up with you and death threats?' Shane asked innocently. 'Go to school. Have fun. I'll pick you up at three, because there's a new CSI on tonight and we have to get supplies.' She was eluding to chips, candy, milk shakes. Anything that would add twenty pounds to their tiny frames. However Peyton nodded and walked down the stairs to Lucas' car, and climbed into the passenger seat.  
  
They pulled out of the driveway, watching Shane wave at them from the door.  
  
'She seems nice.' Luke said, and Peyton couldn't hold back the laugh that erupted from her throat.  
  
'Wait till you meet her on Friday.' She said waving back at her sister. 'Then we'll see what you think of her.' 


	3. Down Time

Peyton comes back from summer break with a surprise. And that surprise has decided to mix things up. Romance: P/L, N/H and Brooke is a surprise.  
  
Author: Mickey (or Stokely)  
  
Rating: R (for later)  
  
Chapter: Three. Haley and Peyton chat and have girl time. Basically just an excuse to write a girlfriends scene. Should be fun though.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, WB does...damn them.  
  
Musical Choices for this Chapter:  
  
Only Hope by Switchfoot  
  
Wait by Death Cab for Cutie  
  
Born to Try by Delta Goodrem (a classic)  
  
Rant (SPOILERS!!): About the next episode (the trailer that is) about how it seems that Dan requested partial custody of Lucas when he was a baby... and how Lucas is not sure he should hate him anymore... is he retarded? Okay, let's recap, to last episode when Dan was picking up Nathan from jail, and Lucas comes to the rescue (woohoo super lucas!... I promise that was not sarcastic) he referred to Lucas as another screw up for that night AND he was being a little too grabby with Nathan if you ask me. Plus, if we look back on Dan's skills as a parent...they SUCK! Nathan used to be a total pompous ass, until Haley and him hooked up and he got away from that evil father of his and was emancipated. My real question...why exactly is Lucas not sure he should hate Dan anymore?  
  
I could be wrong though, I'll admit. I mean, OTH has a tendency to fake us out (cough*Brooke pregnant*cough) but still, I don't really understand why Luke thinks that just because Dan asked about being his father, he should forgive him for being a plain old JACKASS in every sense of the word. I guess we'll all see tomorrow in 'The Leaving Song' huh? (P.S. I know, I rag on Luke a lot. I do like his character, but sometimes he can just be so stupid. He's hot though, so I guess I can forgive him.) *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
'So you're having a party tomorrow...'Haley said as she looked up from her Calculus homework, her perfectly shaped eyebrow arched high. 'Since when have you wanted to jump on the party bandwagon?' Peyton scoffed, her pencil swirling in her long fingers.  
  
'Please, you know I have no control over what leaves my sister's mouth. I don't think even GOD has that much power.' She tilted her head to the side, smiling slightly at her own quip. Haley laughed too, shaking her head as she scribbled down more answers.  
  
'I still can't believe you have a sister. I mean, how could you not tell me? Or better yet, how did Brooke never catch wind of this?' Peyton's eyebrows rose at this comment.  
  
'Despite what you may hear, Brooke doesn't know everything.' She sighed heavily as she flipped the page of her sketch book. 'She's actually kind of pissed that I never told her. I lied and said I was going on vaca with my dad and my cousin.' Haley shot her a look that had 'well-that-was-a-dumb- thing-to-tell-Brooke' written all over it. 'I know I know. Never lie to the Queen of Snooping.'  
  
'Well, she probably won't be pissed enough to not show up at the party. Though her revenge may come in the form of a wild horde attending tomorrow's get together.' As always, Haley was being quite accurate. Hell, even if Brooke didn't tell everyone at school, SOMEONE was bound to spill the beans and Peyton was fully prepared for their home to be trashed...she'd just have to install her double bolt lock on her bedroom door. If anyone even tried to touch her record collection, they'd be in for a serious ass kicking.  
  
'So,' Haley continued, though her new tone of cool indifference did make a blip on Peyton's radar, 'is Lucas coming to the big bash?' Peyton paused her latest drawing, staring at the paper pensively for a moment.  
  
'Well, yeah.' She said not looking up. 'Obviously.' Haley however was not satisfied with the answer.  
  
'As a friend...or as more than a friend?' Peyton's hazel eyes finally left her paper, only to come up and meet Haley's honey ones. Peyton's lips tightened a moment, before she let out another heavy sigh.  
  
'I haven't got a clue. I mean, you needed a freaking score card to keep track of what certain girls mean to Luke. And, unfortunately, after Nikki's little confession last year, I think my scorecard went missing.' She'd abandoned her latest sketch, a half drawn blossoming flower, and was now chewing her pen thoughtfully.  
  
Haley tossed her hair back frowning slightly, 'So you're still mad at him?'  
  
'Yes...and no.' Peyton closed her sketch pad and laid it on her computer desk. 'It's complicated, Hales.' Haley laughed.  
  
'No shit. When has life with Lucas ever been simple?' Haley slammed her text book closed and tossed it across the bed, lying down on her stomach to give Peyton her full attention. 'Peyt, I'm not saying what Luke did is so easily forgiven. But you could at least give him another chance. You'll be kicking yourself later if you don't.'  
  
Peyton swiveled around in her chair, now biting her bottom lip instead of the pen. Haley was right. Of course, when speaking with Haley James about logic, she was rarely mistaken. The past few days at school had been awkward, to say the least. She'd see Luke in the halls, talking with Nathan or Jake or Brooke or Haley. And sure, they'd say hello, but other than greetings and goodbyes, they had little to say to each other. Especially after Peyton caught sight of him talking with Nikki after a game. Okay, so he looked pretty pissed about it, but still, the green eyed monster of jealousy inside of her was swelling just at the sight of that skanky stalker talking to Lucas.  
  
'So when is Miss Shay getting home anyway?' Haley asked as she folded her arms and laid her chin on them.  
  
'She called and said she'd be home around seven. Something about her meeting up with an old friend and wanting to catch up.' Peyton shrugged. Haley frowned.  
  
'She has friends here?' Hales asked. Again, Peyton shrugged, tucking one foot under her knee.  
  
'I didn't even know she had friends.' She confessed as she swiveled in a circle tapping her armrest. 'She only really lived here when she was a toddler, and for a few months when she was eight. And no one remembers her except for Whitey.'  
  
'Who doesn't Whitey know?' Haley said as she rolled over, looking up at the ceiling. 'So Nathan and I are going to come over around six, okay? I know that's early but we figured you two could use some help setting up.' Peyton smiled, and sighed wistfully. Haley stared at her upside down. 'What?'  
  
'Just you and Nathan.' Peyton answered as she crossed her legs, grinning at her friend. 'You know he used to be such a jerk. Now I'm almost jealous of you.' She winked for good effect. Haley turned scarlet, yet a large pearly smile crept across her own face.  
  
'Of course you are. And why shouldn't you be? I AM Haley James.' She put on a cocky, superior look that could have rivaled Nathan's old one. Peyton stifled her laugh, swinging around and clicking on her web cam tool. 'Really though, Peyt, you think he's changed?' Peyton cast a look over her shoulder.  
  
Haley had rolled right side up and was now looking serious and anxious. Almost fidgety. Peyton offered her a reassuring smile. 'Of course he has. I think you exercised the minion of evil that Dan raised. That's how I know you guys are going to last.' Haley smiled coyly at this. 'This may be a bit of an over share, but when it was him and me, there were sparks and all that. But we didn't really click, you know?'  
  
Haley's eyes were cast out the window, clouding dreamily as she nodded. 'I guess I just don't want to end up in |that| place with him, like you did. You two just seemed so obvious though, as far as dating went. Star athlete and his perfect little cheerleader.' Peyton's eyes narrowed and she sent a charcoal leather pillow sailing directly at Haley's head. It hit her, but Haley laughed it off. 'I don't know you just seemed like such a walking cliché.'  
  
'Yup. Ken and Barbie. We looked really nice together, but you've got to admit, there was nothing really there. Besides, I'm not the perfect little cheerleader. I'm more a walking contradiction than I am a cliché.' She jumped up, staring at her wall, hands on her hips, her pose almost heroic looking. 'Cheerleader by day, punk head banger by night.' It was Haley's turn to throw the pillow.  
  
'Hellooooo?' Their laughter was interrupted by Shane winding around the corner, her face flushed. She looked pretty angry too.  
  
'Hey what's up?' Peyton asked as she fell back down into her desk chair. Shane said nothing, just gave an exasperated cry before she launched her purse at the parallel wall. There was a loud smack followed by the crash of a picture frame falling off the wall. Peyton and Haley merely stared wide eyed. 'Bad day?' Peyton offered weakly.  
  
Shane cast her a glare that would have threatened any male's manhood before she fell against the door frame and slowly began to sink down to the floor. 'You know what? I hate men. They're evil, and stupid, and ... and...evil!' Peyton and Haley exchanged glances before Peyton got up and sat down next to Shane.  
  
'So, this is just a wild ass guess, but things didn't go well with the old friend.' Peyton said as she wrapped an arm around her younger sister, whose head immediately fell onto her shoulder.  
  
'That's a bit of an understatement.' She said in a whiney voice. Her head lifted and she banged it against the wall. 'Ow.'  
  
'What exactly was the purpose of that?' Haley asked as she sat up, sitting cross legged on the edge of the bed. Shane stuck her bottom lip out.  
  
'I was hoping that maybe the whole incident would just...fall right out of my head.' She said this sarcastically but in part she really did wish she could forget her sour encounter with her... "old friend".  
  
'So...what happened?' Haley asked smiling slightly at Shane's dry humor. Shane sighed folding her arms around herself.  
  
'Well, I went to meet my friend at the basketball courts out by the park, you know, the one that mom used to always take us to?' Peyton nodded. That was where Nathan and Luke usually faced off when not at school practice. Of course now it had turned more friendly...the competition of the Scott brothers was still not really gone though. But at least they were trying to be civil.  
  
'Well, me and him started shooting hoops. Playing horse.' Peyton smiled. She remembered that few months that she spent in Tree Hill when she was eight, their mother had pretty much forced them outside. They'd go play 'horse' for hours, where they'd shoot. Every time you missed, you got a letter, and the person who spelled out horse first lost. Shane usually won of course, being the sporty one of the two. Peyton was kind of happy Shane hadn't out grown that game.  
  
'We started talking. Just about random stuff. School. Tree Hill. You.' She nodded to Peyton, who looked half surprised. So she knew this guy. Well that was entirely possible, she knew a lot of guys at school, with who she was on friendly basis with. 'Actually after discussing you, we got in an argument. It sort of escalated into this big yelling contest and I...uh...' she scratched the back of her head nervously. 'I sort of got a little too upset.' Peyton groaned.  
  
'God Shane, what did you do now!?' she asked in a voice of great exasperation. Haley had a bemused look on her face, as though she found all this way too funny.  
  
'Nothing! Well, almost nothing. It's just he was yelling, and then I was yelling. I threw some things. They hit him. It'd not that big a deal!' with that she stood up, as Peyton stared at her incredulously.  
  
'You hit him!?' She bellowed as Shane paced the room.  
  
'No!' she said placing her hands on her hips as she swayed from side to side. 'The stuff I was throwing did.' Haley had her hand over her mouth, trying desperately not to give into a fit of laughter. Peyton shot her a glare, before getting up off the floor.  
  
'I cannot believe you! You'd swear you were six, not sixteen!' she yelled. 'Look, you have to come to school tomorrow and apologize to this guy!' Shane opened her mouth to argue but Peyton clapped her hand over her mouth. 'This is not up for discussion. Now go to your room!' Her other hand whipped from her side and pointed to the door.  
  
One of Shane's eyebrows rose, as she took her sister's wrist and removed her hand from her mouth. 'Okay MOM.' She said as she pushed past Peyton and stormed down the hall to her room. There was a loud slam, which was probably her door.  
  
'Well that went well.' Haley said watching Peyton roll her eyes. Peyton fell back into her chair, raking a hand through her naturally curly hair.  
  
'Tree Hill has enough drama going on without my sister running around beating up guys.' Peyton sighed before a small giggle escaped her mouth. 'I wish mom was here so she could yell at her. If she was, I'd probably be laughing my ass of, high fiving Shay.' Haley smiled as she got up from the bed and walked over to Peyton, sitting down on her knee and clicking away on the keyboard. Peyton was feeling kind of emotionally drained.  
  
That morning she'd had a fight with Brooke, small as it was, and it had involved some yelling. Then she'd met up with Luke in the overly crowded hall and was promptly pressed against him and a locker (or a rock and a hard place, take your pick) as he was shoved forward. Tense pause, resulting in both of them stammering apologies, and Peyton again being tortured by thoughts of him. Right up until the end of school when cheerleading practice had to be endured with a still seething Brooke. Then it was off home with Haley for some relaxing time before being confronted with the bomb that her sister was being a bully. Somehow, life had stayed complicated. Go figure. 


	4. Stranger Unveiled

Peyton comes back from summer break with a surprise. And that surprise has decided to mix things up. Romance: P/L, N/H and Brooke is a surprise.  
  
Author: Mickey (or Stokely)  
  
Rating: R (for later)  
  
Chapter: Four. The day before the party. Some conflicts are arising. Should make the party THAT much more interesting.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, WB does...damn them.  
  
Musical Choices for this Chapter:  
  
Are You Gonna Be My Girl? by Jet  
  
Perfect by Maren Ord  
  
Hey Mama by Black Eyed Peas  
  
Rant (SPOILERS!!): Pretty much all I have to say is.... AH! DEB AND KEITH! AH! SHOOT ME BETWEEN THE EYES!...other than that, I MISS JAKE! And it's only a day after 'The Leaving Song'. Jesus, are they clearing out the town or what? Keith, Jake and Jenny, Lucas (though I don't think he'll get far, he IS the main character and the show is called one TREE HILL, so they can't exactly change locations). I must admit, I knew something was up when Luke was visiting Peyton. He looked funny. Like smiling but not...talking about all the mistakes he ever made, and starting over a new leaf... and then the whole 'I'll see you around Peyton' was a little TOO creepily said.  
  
Was it just me, when Peyton kissed Jake he leaned in after she was pulling away? Uh oh. My spider sense is tingling. Do I feel a hint of Jake crushing on Peyton MAJORLY here? Oh well, I love them both, but still I'm a Lucas Peyton fan at heart...  
  
By the by, hopefully SOME of you are getting to like Shane...hopefully, if not, no biggie. But would you like to see her hook up with someone? I'm not planning to, but if anyone has a suggestion, I'm all ears. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Luke stared at the computer screen as he watched Haley type away at the computer. Peyton had long since gotten up to 'go and talk things out with Shane'. Shane. Lucas' temper flared at the very mention of that little brat's name. He touched his right cheek, which was bright red from having a basketball hurled at him. Well, she was definitely feisty like Peyton. Of course Peyton had never really gone out of her way to scream at him about being a male whore and then try and decapitate him with anything she could grab.  
  
He hadn't thought much of it when he walked into his mom's café after basketball practice and saw a curly blonde haired head sitting near the window. He gave his mom a quick hug and then made his way over to the window, ready to ask Peyton if maybe she needed any help setting up the party tomorrow.  
  
When he touched her shoulder and the blonde curls flew as the girl's head turned, he was shocked for a moment. It was that girl. Shane...or something. She smiled at him and he quickly apologized, explaining that he thought she was Peyton. Shane invited him to sit, and feeling as though he sort of owed her, he did. They started talking, and when he mentioned basketball and how he couldn't shoot right anymore, she quickly offered to go shoot hoops with him.  
  
So they wandered out to the park (after Shane called Peyton) and continued their talk. He couldn't exactly remember everything, but somewhere around her getting an R to complete her HOR title (they were playing HORSE), they'd started talking about Peyton. He told her the story, all about how they'd met, fallen for each other and how everything had fallen to pieces, but he must have said something wrong, because next thing he knew, she was snidely calling him 'easy'. Of course he defended himself, pointing out things Peyton had done to him. Again, not the best thing to say, because they soon began having a shouting contest. Finally he'd had enough and demanded his ball back so that he could go home. And she'd given it to him. Right in the jaw.  
  
He watched as Peyton re-entered the room, ready for bed by the looks of things. She was wearing a tight, thin green tee-shirt and grey track pants. She said something to Haley and Haley agreed.  
  
HALES:  
Sorry luke, looks like its lights out time. Peyt needs to get to bed...its quite obvious she needs the beauty sleep.  
  
Luke smiled as he saw Peyton read over her shoulder, and then her eyes widened and she smacked Haley in the arm, who giggled. Lucas chuckled to himself before responding.  
  
LUCAS:  
Alright, but I think she looks beautiful already.  
  
He watched the two girls read it, and again grinned as Peyton blushed, and Haley leaned toward the web cam and stuck her finger in her mouth, pretend gagging. Then she began typing again.  
  
HALES:  
Suck up.  
  
Lucas laughed out loud while watching Peyton wrestle the keyboard away from Haley. Finally, after she'd delivered a swift kick and Haley had sunk down out of sight, she began typing.  
  
HALES:  
Night Luke! See you tomorrow at school. P.S. You know I'm gorgeous.  
  
With that she delivered the web cam a saucy smile, and took the lens cover and the screen went black. Lucas sat back in his chair, staring at the screen she had moments ago adorned. He missed Peyton, a lot more than he had let on to anyone.  
  
Well, Brooke knew he was crazy about her. But he wasn't sure she really understood just what he missed about Peyton. He missed so much. The way her laugh bubbled up out of no where. Her feminine deep voice. Her odd taste in music (for a girl of their generation at least). The way they could be playful with each other one moment and then passionate the next. He missed the way her hair would bounce with every step and the way her lips curled into that thin smile. He missed the coffee mustaches she got whenever they had drinks at his mom's café (he also missed kissing those mustaches off). He missed looking at the deep, dark images she created from her most personal thoughts. He missed her big beautiful green eyes. He missed Peyton.  
  
He sighed as he tossed the keyboard across his desk and leaned back so that the back of the chair dipped down. He groaned as he swung the chair around and managed to propel himself forward into bed, collapsing and closing his eyes, too exhausted to give anything but Peyton Sawyer another thought.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Sawyer House = 9 AM ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
'Shane Anne Sawyer! Get your ass in here!' Peyton called as tossed Haley two slices of toast. She was smoothing her own piece with some peanut butter when a grumbling Shane shuffled into the room. 'Why aren't you dressed? We have to leave in five minutes.' Shane blinked, obviously lost.  
  
'I'm sorry, it's been scientifically proven that my brain is reduced to mush this early in the morning.' She slumped into the chair opposite Haley who was nervously tapping her foot against the floor. Peyton rolled her eyes.  
  
'Well go get dressed. I assume you can do that without help.'  
  
'I don't understand why it's so urgent for me to get dressed. Where am I going?' she laid her hands on the table in front of her, staring at Peyton as though she were speaking another language.  
  
'You're coming to school remember? To apologize to your friend.' Shane's eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up.  
  
'Yeah right. A) you mean EX-friend, and B) You'll have to drag me kicking and screaming. I am not apologizing to that ass.' She grumbled the last part, leaning back, her arms crossed defiantly.  
  
'Suck it up Shane. Look its either you face up to this guy and tell him you're sorry, or you deal with me, and you already know I am a force to be reckoned with.' Peyton's eyes flashed dangerously and Shane got up from her chair slowly.  
  
'Fine. But tonight at the party, I'm getting people to test any food you give me for poison, so don't get any ideas.' She threw her own glare over her shoulder as she shuffled back toward her room. Peyton shook her head, her curls bouncing in every direction. She was dreading today enough without having to deal with the big party tonight. Firstly, she'd found a message on her computer screen that morning from Lucas saying he wanted to take her out for lunch.  
  
'So you and Luke are going on a date huh?' Haley said casually as she polished off her last piece of toast and finished her orange juice. Peyton's head snapped up at this.  
  
'What? No. No! No. It's just lunch!' she answered nervously, and she knew she sounded pathetic, especially when Haley smirked at her. She rolled her eyes. 'Oh shut up.'  
  
'It's just you're all dressed up...' Peyton looked down at herself. She was wearing her favorite maroon plaid pleated skirt, a white tank top and a see- through white top over that. She was also wearing her biker boots again (her favorite accessory). She looked over at Haley who was wearing an orange graphic tee and Nathan's grey sweatpants that practically pooled at her ankles. She may not have looked glamorous, but she still held that natural beauty that was so Haley. Damn her.  
  
'This, to you, is dressed up?' she said motioning to her outfit. Haley looked her up and down again.  
  
'Well...in terms of Peyton fashion, I'd have to say, yeah.' Long pause.  
  
'Maybe I should change...' Peyton said looking at her skirt as she smoothed it out. Haley blinked.  
  
'Why?' she asked, biting her tongue nervously.  
  
'Well I don't want to give him the wrong idea...what if he thinks this means I want to get back together with him?'  
  
'Don't you?'  
  
'That's not the point.'  
  
'No, Peyton, we're already late, you can't-'  
  
'It will take two minutes!'  
  
'No I forbid you to! If you take one step toward that closet I will be forced to drag YOUR ass out of here!' Haley was standing now, obviously nervous that Peyton was going to try and make a break for the hallway. Haley had a thing about not showing up for class. It made her feel guilty. Why, was beyond Peyton.  
  
'Okay, I'm ready, let's get this the hell over with.' Shane said grudgingly as she walked back into the kitchen. She was wearing her ripped fitted jeans and a fitted sweater that had patches on the arms (her favorite was the one that read 'I beat my coach'). She had her arms folded in front of her and she looked Peyton up and down slowly. 'So, what's the special occasion?'  
  
Peyton let out a small cry, before she bolted for her room. Unfortunately, Haley saw it coming and grabbed her and began pulling her toward the front door. Now Peyton may have been taller than Hales, but she was definitely not as strong.  
  
Within five minutes the three were in the car, on their way to Tree Hill High.  
  
As they pulled up to the high school, both Sawyer girls were eyeing the doors warily. Haley cut the ignition and turned to look back at the two, who were now exchanging dreading looks. 'Come on guys.' Hales said tucking her keys in her bag. 'It won't be that bad.'  
  
'Yeah. It could be worse.' Shane said unconvincingly.  
  
'Yeah, we could be walking in there naked.' Peyton said as she rolled her eyes. But she knew she couldn't just sit in the car, so she popped the door open, clasped Shane's hand tightly in hers and dragged her sister out of the car. Shane launched Peyton a fleeting scowl before she plastered a 'whatever' expression on her face.  
  
They walked into school still arm in arm, with Haley walking beside Peyton, picking through her bag, looking for her History textbook. Shane was nervously scanning the crowd for Lucas. If Peyton found out that Shane had gone behind her back, talked to Luke, divulged some embarrassing information, before promptly whipping a basketball at his head, she probably WOULD pass her a slice of poisonous pizza.  
  
Peyton searched the sea of high schoolers, looking for Luke. Maybe she could get out of their 'lunch date' by saying she had to...study for History with Haley.  
  
'Hey.' Immediately, both curly heads turned at the little bit raspy deep voice owned by the person they were both dreading seeing. Luke's eyes flashed momentarily at the sight of Shane, who shot him a warning look. He smiled after a moment. 'Hey Shane, nice to see you again.' It couldn't have sounded more forced, but Peyton seemed oblivious. Shane returned the smile.  
  
'You too. Lucas wasn't it?' Peyton lightly smacked her side.  
  
'Shane, why don't you go with Haley? Go find your friend so you can apologize.' Peyton said gently pushing her sister to the side. Luke's eyes immediately shot to Shane's as she shrugged and mouthed 'I'll meet you back here'. He grimaced but nodded.  
  
'Later Shane.' He said lamely. She waved before grabbing Haley's arm and walking quickly down the hall. Peyton watched her before turning back to Lucas. 'So are we still on for lunch?' Luke asked, his tense demeanor instantly vanishing.  
  
'Yeah, about that...I uh...I have to study with Haley for this big History test after lunch.' She said raising her hands in defeat. Lucas didn't look convinced.  
  
'You don't take History.'  
  
'What?' she asked, trying to sound offended. 'Of course I take History. Why would you say something like that?' Lucas shrugged.  
  
'Because I take History.' He said simply.  
  
'Oh.' She said feeling very idiotic, having been caught in her lie. 'Dammit.' Luke smiled and shook his head.  
  
'Hey, if you don't want to go to lunch with me, all you had to do was say so.' He sounded hurt, and though he was smiling, she could see it in his eyes that she had punctured a very large hole...in his heart or his ego was yet to be determined.  
  
'No, no. It's not that...it's just...' Peyton sighed putting her hand on her head, looking out the window, her brain buzzing to find a plausible excuse. She gave up and let out a low sigh. 'I don't know Luke. This is all so weird.' Finally she was telling him what she felt. This was what he'd wanted...wasn't it?  
  
'Yeah?' he asked. 'Weird how?' he honestly wanted to know what he was doing wrong, how he could fix it so that he could be with her the way they used to be together. She shook her head.  
  
'It's hard to explain. I don't want to bore you...'  
  
'You're not. Look, truth be told, that's why I wanted to take you out to lunch.' She immediately tensed at the words |take you out| but he pressed on. 'I want to know what you feel about me. Then maybe I can help.' She smiled sadly.  
  
'Help with what exactly?' she asked a slight laugh in her voice. He shrugged, offering his own supporting smile.  
  
'Anything I can.' He answered, which in Peyton's opinion was the best one he could have given. She smiled and nodded.  
  
'Okay. Lunch. I'll be there.' He grinned at her. 'But now I have to get to class. What do you have?' He walked with her down the hall, taking in her appearance appreciatively. She may not have been dressed beautifully in the conventional sense. But that's what he loved about her. Her uniqueness.  
  
'Spare. I'll probably go shoot some hoops in the gym.' He needed to think about what she'd said. One word meant he had a whole lot to think about. Weird...weird how?  
  
'Okay, well I'll see you as soon as class is over so we can decide where to eat.' He nodded and was about to lean down to kiss her. He stopped mid movement, but too late, their eyes were locked, their mouth open. He was inches from her face, his spiky hair tickling the top of her head. Her eyes had become droopy and she looked up at him dreamily before she moved forward just one inch. And then...  
  
RING! The bell sounded and both their eyes snapped shut as they simultaneously leaned away from each other. Nothing was said. Luke didn't even have a chance to say a word, because Peyton was all ready jogging down the hall to get to her class. He sighed as he stared after her, scratching the back of his head.  
  
'So caveman. Taking my sister to lunch?' He rolled his eyes and turned slowly, exhaling loudly as he turned to see Shane leaning against a locker, her eyebrows raised.  
  
'What if I am? Feel like hurling something else in my direction?' His voice carried a razor sharp edge. Her lips tightened and she could no longer carry his gaze. Her jaw clenched before she managed to look back at him.  
  
'About that...' she paused, finding this a very difficult task, 'I just wanted to say sorry.' She took a deep breath and stood up walking over to him. 'It was juvenile of me. I just think we should be friends. And I promise not to try and chuck solid objects at your head.' She paused smiling at him. 'But liquids are still fair game.' He chuckled.  
  
'Yeah, well, I think I'll pass on that little agreement.' Shane blinked. 'Look, I say we call a truce.' He didn't mean to be mean, but his cheek still hurt, and he was still relatively pissed at the audacity of her actions. Shane frowned at his words and nodded, but her eyes gave away the fury she was feeling.  
  
'Fine. Truce. For now.' Her words were forced. What kind of asshole was this guy? It wasn't everyday Shane Sawyer apologized and he was brushing her off? He was lucky she didn't attempt to kick his scrawny ass! 'But watch it Scott. If you hurt my sister again, it won't be a little basketball I throw at you.' Damn. She just couldn't hold it back. She was never good at letting bygones be bygones.  
  
He merely stared at her, as if he'd surely misheard her. She gave him a last glare which clearly showed he didn't know who he was messing with, before she sauntered past him. She'd walk home. No way in hell was she going to stick around and talk to this jerk.  
  
Meanwhile, Lucas was cursing in the back of his head. You're such a fucker, Scott, he muttered to himself.  
  
'Wait!' he called before jogging down the hall and jumping in front of her. She stopped, hitting him with her harshest glare. But he didn't look away. He'd seen this a lot in Peyton's eyes, and he'd grown used to it. Even fond of it. 'I'm sorry. I'm being an ass.'  
  
'Damn straight you are.' She shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. He nodded shoving his hands in his pockets.  
  
'I know. Look, I just...I guess Peyton means a lot to me...and I feel like maybe you'll...' he trailed off searching for the right words. It was easy to offend Shane.  
  
'Afraid I'll betray you somehow? Make her hate you? Turn her completely against you just for a laugh?' He looked uncomfortable with these answers. She shook her head, unfolding her arms and placing her hands on her hips.  
  
'Look, Luke, I don't know you. And if it makes you feel any better, I never told Peyton it was you I met at the courts. She seems to really like you, why, I have no idea.' His lips quirked at her insult. 'But before the whole, yelling, arguing, basketball throwing stuff...I have to admit, I could kind of see why she does.' Her green eyes met his cobalt blue ones. 'So can we just forget anything happened, and like...start over?'  
  
'Well, I may have to think about that...' she punched his arm, and it hurt, surprisingly. 'Okay! Okay. It's a deal. But you have to do me a favor.'  
  
'We've been friends five seconds and you're already calling in favors...okay, what is it?' 


	5. Transparency

Peyton comes back from summer break with a surprise. And that surprise has decided to mix things up. Romance: P/L, N/H and Brooke is a surprise... Maybe even Shane will find a little love?  
  
Author: Mickey (or Stokely)  
  
Rating: R (for later)  
  
Chapter: Five. Lunch with Lucas. An old friend returns. And Shane gets a crush. Oh and the party's getting closer. P.S. I know I've neglected Nathan and Haley, so the next chapter they will play a major role in. Thanks!  
  
Oh and I had Philosophy today last period... so if this chapter seems moody and sappy, well, blame my prof... It's extra long, so I'm hoping for some extra long reviews HINT HINT  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, WB does...damn them.  
  
Musical Choices for this Chapter:  
  
Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional  
  
Here With Me by Dido  
  
Letters to You by Finch  
  
Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie  
  
Rant (SPOILERS!!): It's the countdown people (in half an hour), to the very last episode before a grueling summer of wondering, waiting and reruns of One Tree Hill. Okay, so Keith and Deb... I've had time to come to terms... but still I have my vomit bag handy.  
  
Poor Nathan! Getting kicked off the team by your own dad is harsh! And Dan is pretty much a minion of the ANTI CHRIST... (aka Beelzebub) And Lucas is leaving, at least for the summer. Who bets he comes back September after someone on the show is either hospitalized or dies? Meh, we all know he's coming back so what's the big deal?  
  
I hope Jake comes back. I love that guy! He's what makes us teenage angsties hold out for that one special guy who'll be different from all the rest. And as for Brooke getting all 'Peyton's got it coming, she'll get hers!'...get over it. It's high school, boyfriend swapping is the norm and its not like you're going to marry the guy.  
  
I'll just be glad when it's all over and I have a diploma tightly clenched in my fist. Peace, Mickey   
  
Peyton stood on the steps outside the home ec. classroom, the smell of freshly baked pastries mingling with the sent of nicotine and cigarette smoke. She took a short drag before blowing out the whispy white smoke. It tumble upwards, the wind carrying it upwards to the cloudy sky. She shivered involuntarily. Damn Carolina weather. The wind blew lightly enough but it cut through her, making her shiver again. She took another drag.  
  
'I didn't know you smoked.' She turned at the sound of the male voice behind her. She smiled before letting the smoke trail from her thin pink lips.  
  
'I don't. Usually. I just like the smell of them.' She looked down at the almost spent cigarette philosophically. 'It's funny. My mom used to smoke these all the time, and I'd tell her how gross they were, and how smelly she was. Now, its like all I have left of her.'  
  
'So you're in one of those moods.' Jake said as he sat down on the step, and she followed suit, without even being asked. 'I guess things can't have changed that much if you're still as broody as ever.' He chuckled as he rubbed his large hands together. She smiled, taking the last breath of nicotine before letting it fall from her fingers.  
  
'You must be mistaking me for Lucas.' He smiled even wider and nodded, his short shag bobbing with his head. 'So how long are you back for this time?' She always dreaded asking this question. Was it a week? A day? It always felt more like a moment...  
  
'Actually I'm here for a month.' Peyton's head whirled at his answer as her eyes shot up to meet his, her hair swirling around her.  
  
'A...a month?' she stuttered out. 'But what about Jenny? And Nikki?' He let out a heavy, troubled sigh, and clapped his hands together.  
  
'You can't run from your problems forever Peyt. I've been away so long from my home. And there isn't a day that I don't miss Tree Hill, and my parents. And you.' Her green eyes blinked at this confession. He smiled. 'There aren't many friends like you Peyton Sawyer. And there are even fewer in Savannah.' She smiled, shying away from this compliment.  
  
But he continued on, ignoring her suddenly coy demeanor. 'There's a hearing on Friday at around noon. My dad and me managed to scrape enough money together for a decent lawyer. He says that we might be able to get Nikki on a charge of abandonment. But then again, she could retaliate with kidnapping, so we're taking a chance.'  
  
Peyton smiled, her hand reaching over and rubbing his as if as a sign of reassurance. 'You'll win. You're the most committed father I know.' He snorted.  
  
'You live in a town with Dan Scott. That's not hard to believe.'  
  
'Ha ha. All jokes aside, really, you will win. I know you will.' Their eyes connected and something passed between them. A mutual understanding that they would stick together through this difficult time. But almost as soon as it was recognized, it was pushed aside. 'Now enough of this sappy bullshit.' Peyton said as she stood, hopping down onto the pavement. He nodded, grinning at her in the handsome, boyish way that had instantly won her over.  
  
'So you want to go out and grab a bite to eat?' He asked as he stood, cramming his hands into his pockets. Peyton smiled, but then suddenly grimaced.  
  
'I can't. Luke and I are going out for lunch. We have to "talk" about some things.' He laughed at her less than enthusiastic tone. 'I'd ask you to save me, but I think I've put this off for too long already.'  
  
'Understood. Understood.' He waved his hands, showing there was no harm done. 'Maybe some other time. I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself. My parents are taking Jenny out for a few days, you know, doing grandparent stuff.' He shrugged. 'Guess I'll just shoot some hoops or something.'  
  
'PEYTON!' They both turned to see Shane walking their way, smiling broadly. Peyton rolled her eyes.  
  
'What now? Don't tell me...you beat the poor boy to death with a tennis racket?' She said sarcastically, and received a sly smile in response.  
  
'Nah. It was a hockey stick.' Shane replied nonchalantly. Jake chuckled. Shane looked over at him, smiling. 'Whose this tall handsome fellah?' Peyton again could not keep her eyes from rolling.  
  
'Uh, Shay this is Jake. Jake this is my sister Shane.' Jake did a double take at the information of Shane being Peyton's sister. 'I know, look it's a long story.' She said as she raked a hand through her hair.  
  
'It's not really, it just stresses her out when people find out we're related.' Shane said, smiling before lightly elbowing Peyton, who couldn't help but smile back.  
  
'Shut up, you know I love you, you brat.' She replied as she swung her arm around her and hugged her tightly.  
  
'Please, save the mushy stuff for lunch. Luke was looking for you a minute ago out by the front.' Peyton eased her grip on Shane and gave Jake an apologetic look.  
  
Jake smiled and looked back at Shane. He'd be lying if she hadn't intrigued him with her witticism (though he didn't entirely get it). She was gorgeous just like her sister. Thin. Long legs. Bright green eyes and golden hair. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a sucker for a beautiful girl.  
  
'I'm sorry I've got to go so soon. But I'm having a party later, sort of to show off Shane. You should come.' Shane looked between the two worriedly. Was Peyton interested in this guy? To be honest he looked a little geeky. But he held a Tobey MaGuire quality to him that made him to be sort of the cute geek who every girl would go for. Boy, Luke was in trouble.  
  
'For sure, I'll be there!' he said as he pulled her into a hug. Peyton wrapped her arms around him, wishing that she didn't have to face Luke. She felt so comfortable around Jake. He was her best friend, and when he'd left, there was a part of her that had wondered if there hadn't been more there...  
  
'Um, sorry to break this up, but how the hell do you expect me to get home?' Peyton turned to see Shane eyeing the two of them. She shrugged.  
  
'Walk?' she offered.  
  
'You know I'll get lost! I haven't lived here in eight years. Expecting me to remember the bus routes may be a bit beyond me too.' Peyton sighed. Shit. The last thing she wanted was Luke AND Shane in the same car...she wasn't too happy about them being in the same zip code.  
  
'Well I could give you a ride.' The two blondes turned to Jake. 'If you need one. It's kind of boring around here, with no job and all the kids in school.' He poked Peyton who gave him a friendly glare. 'So I'd be willing to be your chauffeur.'  
  
'Watch it. She abuses power.' Peyton quipped. Shane placed her hands on her hips.  
  
'Don't you have someone else to go pester?' she said before pointing at the school. 'Go get your man and get out of here!' Peyton's eyebrows rose at the 'your man' comment. Shane winked, before gently pushing her forward.  
  
Jake chuckled. 'You know, now I can really see the resemblance.' He watched Peyton's retreating backside as she sauntered toward the school. Shane smiled, her cheeks tinted red, and Jake was surprised that her loud manner was quickly escaping her.  
  
'So I have no plans, and since I am always good to the hired help, where is it you'd like to go?' Shane asked, quickly jumping back into confident, self assured mode. She hugged her small frame from the cold, her hair whipping in the light breeze, her countenance pale from the cold light of the sky. Jake shook himself from his reverie.  
  
'Well, I'm kind of hungry. I could really go for some pizza right about now.' He motioned down the road. 'I you don't mind walking a little.' She laughed.  
  
'Hey I thought we had wheels!' she smiled though and began walking beside him toward the main road that swept past Tree Hill High. 'Alright, as long as it's not a veggie pizza and the grease is as thick as the crust.' Jake chuckled.  
  
'I can tell already that you're different from most girls.' He eyed her, his brown eyes reflecting the grey sky. Shane found this oddly appealing.  
  
'I still say we should drive. It's fucking freezing out.' She pouted before shivering violently. She was from San Francisco. What did she know about cold fall weather? He grinned at her.  
  
'You get what you pay for.' He said simply.  
  
'But I'm not paying you.' She said with a raised eyebrow. He nodded.  
  
'And there you go. See, I am worth every cent.' He answered smugly. She shook her head.  
  
'You're the crappiest chauffeur I have ever commandeered.' She said quietly, but he heard her all the same and laughed. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled to herself.  
  
Peyton leaned against her locker watching Brooke pass her with a fellow cheerleader. Brooke nodded in her direction, but didn't stop to say anything before walking up to some faceless jock and taking his arm. She steered him toward the cafeteria, her mini skirt swaying tantalizingly behind her. Peyton sighed. Back to the silent treatment. Well this one wasn't going to last as long. She hoped...  
  
'Peyt...' Peyton turned to stare up into a pair of beautiful blue eyes. She smiled nervously, as she anxiously readjusted her shoulder bag. 'I've been looking all over for you. You still on for lunch?' So he was giving her a way out. Nice, sweet, un-pressuring Luke. He always found away to try and take the heat off. But somehow it only served to fan the flame.  
  
'For sure.' She said, looking him directly in the eye so he knew that she had every intention of having lunch with him and talking about things. 'Where to? Not Karen's...' The last thing she needed was Luke's mom hovering over them. She'd never taken a shine to Peyton, not like she had to Brooke.  
  
'No, I was thinking we could just grab something and eat by the river.' Near the basketball courts. Well, every baby has to have their security blanket.  
  
'Sounds good.' Peyton said, trying to offer up some sort of confident, easy going smile. And when he returned it, she felt oddly...comforted. As if their friendship had been presented to them again. 'Lead the way.'  
  
And then he did something unexpected. He took her by the hand and began walking slowly down the hall. All Peyton could do was stare, and as shocked as she was by his move, she made no attempt to recoil. She merely walked beside him, watching him openly, while he stared ahead, too afraid that she might pull away.  
  
They walked out into the cold air. Since when had North Carolina gotten so cold? It was only September after all. His hand felt oddly comforting and she squeezed it subconsciously, as a cold breeze bit through her. Luke noticed this and finally turned to look at her. Her eyes were closed and she shivered lightly, making him smile.  
  
Peyton felt something heavy and warm encircle her small shoulders, forcing her eyes to open, though the breeze made them sting. She looked down at her body which was now covered by Luke's jacket. She looked up at him, and their eyes met again.  
  
Yes Peyton felt awkward around him sometimes. And she always felt a small part of her churn whenever they're eyes met. But this feeling, her hand in his, his coat around her, his eyes locked with hers. There was something about that feeling that her feelings for Jake couldn't quite compare to.  
  
'Don't want you to get sick.' Luke said quietly, though she'd not breathed a word. She nodded, her own thin smile forming. 'You know, because I kind of like you.' Peyton felt something inside of her flare. Part of her felt a tightening in her chest, some excitement surfacing at the thought that he cared. Another part of her was angry, because she was falling for Lucas Scott all over again. And she couldn't go through that again.  
  
Shane grinned before taking another bite of her slice of pizza. 'So you've lived in San Francisco your whole life?' Jake asked as he absentmindedly stirred the ice cubes in his cola with his straw. Shane nodded.  
  
'Mostly. As much as it pains me to say, Peyton was right when she said it's complicated.' Shane sighed, as she peeled a piece of pepperoni off her pizza.  
  
'I used to live here. I can relate.' He said waggling his eyebrows. Shane smiled and nodded.  
  
'So I've heard. But why'd you leave?' she asked, abandoning her food for a moment. Suddenly his body tensed and his face grew grave.  
  
'A girl.' He answered stiffly, looking down at his hands. Shane winced, feeling suddenly like a huge anvil should have been dropped on her.  
  
'I'm sorry. That seems to sort of be a recurring reason. People leave because love hurts them. The drama that is Tree Hill and all that.' He looked up at her as she fidgeted looking at him guiltily. He gave a weak smile.  
  
'Yeah. I don't really know why I left. I was just running from my problems when I should have just turned right around and fought back.' He heaved a heavy sigh, pushing a hand through his ruffled hair. 'I guess I just realized it and now I'm back.' Shane bit her lip.  
  
'So is this like with Peyton and Lucas?' He looked up at her quizzically. 'I mean, are you back to tell this girl that you're madly in love with her, would do anything for her, that you've both made mistakes and you need to move past them? Tell her that you can't live without her?' She stopped, and he was sure she must have run out of air, but she still didn't take a breath.  
  
He shook his vehemently, laughing lightly under his breath. 'No. That will never happen. There's only one girl I can't live without.' He smiled to himself and Shay felt her stomach sink.  
  
They'd been talking for about an hour about themselves and their interests, and she was seriously digging this guy. He was sweet, funny, and everything every other guy had never been to her. Fuck Shay, what the hell were you expecting?  
  
'Oh? Is she back in Savannah?' Shane asked meekly. He shook his head, his stupid smile still plastered across his face dopily.  
  
'No, she's with her grandparents today. Bonding and that kind of thing.'  
  
'So what's her name?' Shane asked, each second losing the confidence to continue.  
  
'Jenny. Jenny Jageilski.' Shane looked up into his face, frowning slightly.  
  
'What?' she asked, clearly confused. 'Is she related?' Jake laughed, nodding as he leaned forward on the table.  
  
'She's my daughter.' He said. Shane was shocked. He had a daughter? And he wasn't ashamed... that was odd for a teenage parent. Shane just gaped at him, but he didn't seem at all offended. 'The girl I was running from was her mother, who abandoned us a month after Jenny was born. She wants to take Jenny away from me.' He looked down at the table, his eyes unfocused. 'I was stupid and I ran, because I was so sure she'd win. But I'm back now and I won't let her take my baby away.' Shane's mouth twitched at this. He was so dedicated to his daughter. It only furthered her attraction to him, that he was so loving.  
  
'You're brave.' She said without thinking. Jake looked up into her eyes which had softened after the initial shock. 'Jenny is very lucky.' It was Jake's turn to be surprised, his jaw dropping ever so slightly. He didn't know what he'd expected her to say, but this was not it. Then he smiled and their droopy eyed stare continued, neither saying anything. Suddenly they both became aware of what they were doing and they looked away, Shane going back to her now cold pizza and Jake picking at his garlic bread.  
  
Peyton laid her head back down on the grassy hill, her golden hair splaying against the trunk of the large tree that was shading her from the sky which now looked as though it would open up and rain. Luke sat down next to her, looking at her as if for the first time. She seemed to be having an internal battle, the way wave after wave of emotions would cross her face.  
  
They'd walked down the street to a place called 'The Works' and gotten some clubs to bring down to the river. They had joked and been playful with each other, as if they'd never been separated. Peyton had laughed, trying to push her loving thoughts of Luke to the back of her head.  
  
They were acting like friends, like they had the very day before Nikki had ruined all that. And for the first time Lucas felt a small part of him want to forget. There was a tiny voice that kept telling him to forget, all about last year and embrace Peyton the way she was as they made their way to the park. Playful, happy, laughing, joking, sweet. He didn't want to make that go away. But he had so many questions...  
  
'I think we need to talk about last year.' He finally said. He'd put off his curiosity but now it had reached a fevered pitch, and he needed to know some things at least. Peyton sighed, breaking from her trance, and closed her eyes.  
  
'I wish we didn't have to.' She admitted, though she knew she really had no choice. Luke nodded, letting his own eyes fall shut.  
  
'It's hard. But I need to know what you feel Peyton. So that maybe I can set things right and put them the way they were. Maybe I can make things better-'  
  
'You can't make things better Lucas.' Peyton interrupted, her voice harsh. This was it. A summer's worth of turmoil was about to come out, and she knew that the emotional tidal wave might drown them both. But she couldn't stop it if she'd wanted to. It was sink or swim...  
  
'You can't fix what you did.' Her eyes opened, blearily with tears. 'You were with Brooke for all that time, being the happy couple. And I admit that was my fault. But after everything we felt for each other came out... and then we couldn't be together... that was hard enough. But no, then you slept with Nikki, at a time when I thought we meant more to each other. Not only that, but you never told me. I get my ass beaten only to find out that you fucked around with the whore that left Jenny and Jake. Then, you run away with Keith? That was just the icing on the cake. You never even told me you were going.' Her voice caught in her throat as she sat up violently, feeling her chest constrict painfully.  
  
'After you left, I couldn't feel anymore. I didn't want to feel anymore. I just had to get the hell out of this hole, and get away from all this fucking drama. I needed to get away from the memory of you, because everywhere I went you haunted me. So I left, just like you did, I ran away, but it didn't fix anything. I always knew that when I got back, you'd be right here waiting. I knew you couldn't really stay away from Tree Hill. But you left, and that burned me.' She took a deep breath, her hands shaking with so much emotion that it scared her.  
  
Luke sat there, helpless. He didn't feel that he had the audacity to reach out and hold her. She was right. Everything he'd done had been wrong and he didn't deserve her forgiveness. He wished he did though, more than anything.  
  
'I missed you so damn much.' She was practically whimpering now. He hadn't known how much he'd affected her. 'When I got that call in July that I lost my dad, that he'd been stolen from me, I cried for weeks. But half the time I wasn't even thinking of daddy. I was thinking of you, and that night his boat had gone missing. I thought of your kisses and your gentleness and your tenderness. St. Luke and his love that I came so close to claiming for my own.' She knew she sounded pathetic and poetic, but she couldn't help it. She'd practiced what she was going to tell him, but that'd all been forgotten. All this came from her heart.  
  
It took every ounce of restraint not to reach out and take her shoulder, not to lean over and kiss her senseless. It took all the control inside of him not to whisper in her ear how much he'd missed her too and how for that first month he'd been away, he couldn't sleep knowing that he wasn't going to see her face everyday in school. God he was in fucking Grade Twelve. What the hell was wrong with him, he was feeling things that he thought he'd never feel.  
  
'But we can't go back to the way we were.' Peyton concluded, wiping her eyes, even though no tears had escaped them. 'The best we can hope for is friendship.' Lucas felt his heart tighten at the resignation in her voice. Friends. Friends. That was what they had left. That was all they had left.  
  
'Friends.' Luke repeated, internally cringing. Peyton looked over at him for the first time during her entire speech. 'I think I can do that.' His hands were fisted but she couldn't see them. As much as he wished it, he wasn't transparent, and she couldn't see right through his façade. Peyton looked at him and he saw a trace of skepticism cross her face. 'If I can only be your friend, Peyt, then I'll take it. I'll do anything as long as I can still be around you.'  
  
No. No, he wasn't supposed to accept. He was supposed to yell and blame her for all the stupid things she'd done, and god knows she'd done her fair share. He was supposed to chastise her about her decision to be 'just friends'.  
  
This answer that he gave chipped her freshly iced heart. She'd been ready to try hating him again after recounting all his faults. But he was willing to be anything, do anything as long as he could be with her. Her defenses were temporarily down for the count.  
  
'I've been a jerk, and I am so sorry. I missed you more than you know. Being your friend is better than not being anything to you at all.' He leaned forward finally, before she had the chance to move and encircled her in his arms, pulling her forward. He'd ached to do this since he'd first come to see her at her house.  
  
At first Peyton was tense, but slowly she relaxed and let her arms slip over his broad, muscled shoulders, hugging him back. His head was buried in her neck. This wasn't generally how 'friends' hugged. They didn't cling desperately to one another, inhaling every scent as if it were the last time they'd smell it. But that was what they were. They were friends.  
  
Just friends. 


	6. For Peyton

Peyton comes back from summer break with a surprise. And that surprise has decided to mix things up. Romance: P/L, N/H and Brooke is a surprise… Maybe even Shane will find a little love?  
  
Author: Mickey (or Stokely)  
  
Rating: R (for later)  
  
Chapter: Six. The Party. FINALLY! :D Actually its more like the party part I. You'll see why…  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, WB does…damn them.  
  
Musical Choices for this Chapter (download these if you can, I PROMISE these are the BEST songs ever! Especially if you like the stuff on One Tree Hill):   
  
Question by the Old 97s  
  
Beautiful Oblivion by Eve 6  
  
Wait by Death Cab for Cutie  
  
Rant (SPOILERS!!): Well, it's Thursday, two days after THE END OF THE WORLD (aka season finale of One Tree Hill) and that episode was good, but not good. First of all, YAY for Haley and Nathan. Okay, so maybe getting married was a bit hasty (read VERY HASTY) but its cute that they love each other THAT much. Sadly, this will probably result in the destruction of their relationship next season. Or they'll be forced to get an annulment. But whatever. And what was up with Lucas leaving ONE note for both Peyton and Brooke. SHIT FOR BRAINS! What the HELL was he thinking?! God, this child makes the worst decisions ever! And was it just me, or does anyone still have a small inkling that Brooke may have ACTUALLY given Nikki the right direction to Savannah. I mean, maybe she really did write Seattle. But then why with the need to set the paper on fire? Suspicious…. Anyway, on to Chapter six and the party!  
  
'Nathan, could you get that?' Haley called as she looped her second earring through her ear. She heard a muffled affirmation before the ringing of her phone ceased. She smiled as she heard Nathan's reply.  
  
'Hello, Haley James' residence, how may I make your day more frustrating?' Haley couldn't withhold a snigger at his stupid answer. 'Oh, hey Luke. Yeah man, we're just about ready to head over too.' Haley smiled as she swiped a little gloss over her full lips, her honey colored eyes taking in her appearance. She was wearing a little red dress, cut short at the bottom. Her hair was down and straight, perfectly coiffed. Little golden touches were added in the jewelry.  
  
'You look damn sexy Haley James.' She smirked as she felt two strong arms encircle her waist, and felt Nathan nuzzle her neck lovingly. 'You're sure we can't be a little late?' She groaned when he tenderly kissed her jaw.  
  
'Don't do this again Nathan. I love you, but you are too damn distracting for your own good.' She said with a lazy smile, before she turned in his arms to snake her hands through his hair. 'We have to be there for Peyton and Shane tonight. This isn't going to be easy.'  
  
'I know. I remember your first party…' He teased. She hit him playfully grinning widely.  
  
'Seriously though. Peyton called me before you came over and told me about her lunch with Luke.' Nathan nodded, his face serious. 'She needs us to help her out tonight. And Shane's new. You remember how weird it is trying to fit in around here.'  
  
'No, but I'll take your word for it.' Again, that earned him a soft smack on the arm. 'Hales, if this is important to you then I'm there. I want to help Peyton too. But why'd you have to look so hot tonight?' Haley blushed as she licked her lips for good effect.  
  
'To torture you of course.' It was his turn to groan in frustration. 'Look, I promise, that as a reward for your patience, I'll wake you up tomorrow in a manner that I'm sure you'll enjoy.' Nathan's eyebrows rose at this, and a smile crept across his pale countenance.  
  
'Well, I can't say no to that, can I?'  
  
'You'd be pretty dumb if you did.' Haley admitted as she took his hand. 'Now come on Casanova, let's get a move on.' He grudgingly followed her as they walked down the stairs hand in hand and out the door to her car.  
  
'Peyton you'd better get your ass out here now, people will be here soon!' Shane called as she tossed another bag of chips out onto the kitchen counter, before popping open a beer and talking a long drink.  
  
'Save some for later little missus, we've got a lot of partying to do.' Peyton said as she walked out into the kitchen and grabbed a few chips. Shane placed her beer down on the table and rolled her eyes.  
  
'I think being drunk is kind of necessary for this…' she said licking her lips. Peyton's eyebrows rose and she shrugged.  
  
'Just don't abandon your beer for any amount of time. Trust me, you don't want to open that can of worms.' Shane saluted her sister.  
  
'You got it. Paranoia rains supreme.' She said just as the doorbell rang. Shane sighed. 'Well. Looks like the fun begins…' she gave Peyton a wink before sauntering over to the door. She opened it to find Lucas standing on the porch, hands buried in his pockets. He wore a fitted white tee shirt and jeans. And he looked VERY handsome, every ropey muscle, every flat hard pane exposed to her eye. And Peyton would not be immune to him tonight either.   
  
'Hey Shay.' He said with a smile as he stepped across the threshold. Shane smiled back reassuringly.  
  
'You came. I'm glad.' She said in a hushed voice. 'I heard about lunch. Sorry dude.' He shrugged, but a pained expression flickered across his angled face.  
  
'No worries. If it's meant to be, you can't force it.' His voice was low as well. Shane offered him a sympathetic look.   
  
'She'll come around.' She said softly before they were interrupted.  
  
'Shane, have you seen the blender-' Peyton immediately froze after she'd rounded the corner, so surprised by the man who stood at the door. They locked eyes for a moment, and Peyton felt a wave of heat flood her. She'd be lying if she said she'd expected him to come. She thought she may have wounded him with her 'let's just be friends' speech earlier.   
  
But now that she thought about it, wouldn't Lucas rather hurt himself and anyone else around him as long as it meant his pride stayed intact?  
  
'Luke…' her voice trailed off, and as soon as his name had trailed off her tongue, his eyes averted themselves to the hard wood floor.  
  
'I came to see if you guys still needed help setting up.' He answered quickly, offering up the excuse he'd thought up in the car. Peyton blinked, those huge emerald orbs gleaming in the soft light. She was wearing a skimpy white tank top which did nothing to hide her petite frame and small perfect chest. Her hair was down as usual, golden curls bouncing around her head. She wore a khaki mini that was snug and perfectly at home on her hips. Her legs that seemed to go on forever were bare and she wore white flowered flip flops on her feet.  
  
Shane tried to withhold her grin as she watched not only Luke size up Peyton, but Peyton stare longingly at him. She felt like she could have screamed in frustration. The only reason they were doing this was because they'd both decided that friendship was the only thing that would be steady, as opposed to their rocky love life. But wasn't that what made things exciting?  
  
'Actually, Luke,' Shane finally forced out, tired of standing in silence, 'you and Peyton could start on the margaritas. The blender is on the top shelf by the fridge.' Shane saw the look of horror on Peyton's face at the idea of being left alone with Lucas.  
  
'Shay, maybe you should-'  
  
'Don't be ridiculous Peyt, you know that when I make margaritas they turn out more like watery slush. You and Luke go ahead, I'm going to go get some music ready.' Shane patted Luke's arm, before grabbing his wrist and practically hauling him over to Peyton. As soon as they were face to face, she hustled off to Peyton's room to find a kick ass CD to play, leaving two very uncomfortable kids to themselves.  
  
'So, I'll just go get the ice.' Peyton forced out, her eyes never leaving Lucas'. He nodded solemnly.  
  
'I'll get the blender out. What kind of margaritas are we making?' He asked weakly. He really didn't care, but what else was he supposed to say? Peyton, I'm still in love with you, so excuse me while I go throw my heart in the blender along with the margarita mix? He didn't think that'd go over well.  
  
'I don't know, lime I guess.' She answered just as lamely. His eyes drifted up to meet hers, the crystalline blue piercing right through her, and she felt as though she were rooted to the spot. Her mouth hung agape. Why? Why was it so hard to be just friends with Lucas Scott?  
  
Because you still love him, a small voice in the back of her head whispered. It would have been romantic, had it not shattered her heart. She loved him. She had loved him. She'd sort of known it but it had never been present and identified.  
  
This was love. This swelling in her chest, her stomach tight and knotted while her throat constricted. Her whole body felt like it was coiling at the very thought that she was in love with Lucas Scott…  
  
I am such an idiot. Peyton thought. What the hell was I thinking? Just Friends? How fucking stupid must he think I am? Peyton's lip quivered at the thought that she was ready to push him away again with the excuse that she couldn't think of him as more than a friend or a good fuck. But what was she going to say? How could she ask him how he felt…  
  
'Hey, Peyton, where's your Snow Patrol CD?!' God dammit, she was going to have to kill Shane later. She spun around to see the adolescent strolling absentmindedly into the hall, holding a few of her CDs. 'I think we need something loud and proud.'  
  
Oh Shane, I could shoot you right now. 'Go into my closet, I think I left it by the old stereo.' Shane nodded, never actually looking up, so she couldn't see that her sister was actually trying to murder her with only her eyes. She turned and left, and Peyton heaved a sigh before turning back around.  
  
'Luke, I wa-' she stopped when she realized he wasn't standing in front of her anymore. 'Lucas?' she asked as she wandered into the kitchen. He was facing away from her, the blender lying on the counter, as he ripped open a pack of margarita mix. Peyton bit her lip.   
  
Come on Sawyer. Tell him you made a mistake. Tell him you'd rather die than just be a friend. But how could she? I mean, he'd done wrong by her, hadn't he? How did she know he wouldn't do it again? And going back on what she'd said would make her seem like an even bigger idiot than she already was. But god, did she want to be an idiot…  
  
DING! Peyton opened her mouth but looked over at the door. She was fully prepared to ignore it, her eyes floating from the door back to Lucas' well muscled back and then to the door again. DING! She licked her lips, clenching and unclenching her fists. DING!  
  
'Who the fuck is answering the fucking door?!' Shane yelled from the back room. But even that couldn't un-cement Peyton's feet from where she stood. She just kept staring at the door as if willing whoever was behind it to go away. DING! DING! DING!  
  
'Peyton are you okay?' Her head snapped back to the kitchen and she realized Lucas had turned around and he was looking at her as if she were a freak. She sighed and nodded.  
  
'Yeah. Yeah I'm fine.' She said quickly before practically running to the door. She grasped the handle and opened the door in one swift movement. She came face to face with a giant horde, people grinning like drunken morons (half of them probably were…drunk that is) and they all babbled incoherent greetings as they piled through the door.  
  
'Peyton!' she turned at the sound of her name, and smiled as relief washed over her. Haley jumped forward through the door and grabbed her, Nathan close behind. 'Thank god, people were turning mutinous when you didn't answer the door.' Peyton laughed.  
  
'Yeah, I was a little distracted. Temporary brain freeze. I'm good now.' She said as her small friend gave her a big hug. When she released her, she had a weird, anxious look on her face.  
  
'So…is Lucas here yet?' Peyton inwardly groaned.  
  
'Unfortunately. I thought you were going to protect me from him!' She was "emotionally charged", which meant that her actions around him could be unpredictable…at least that was what Hales had told her.  
  
'I know, I know! I'm sorry, we just got a little caught up…' she smiled guiltily, Nathan smiling devilishly behind her. Peyton tried to shoot him a glare coupled with a smirk, but he knew from past years what she'd do, and he'd already turned away.  
  
The beats began jumping, the floorboards resonating as 'Beautiful Oblivion' blared. People started hooting and made themselves right at home, dancing, talking, eating. The party had begun.  
  
'Hey Haley!' Haley and Peyton turned to see Shane push her way through the crowd, smiling widely. She'd changed, Peyton vaguely noticed, into an orange haltered dress and she'd clipped a white daisy in her hair. 'Looks like the party's started. Where's Luke?' She was disappointed to see that her sister had abandoned him.  
  
'In the kitchen, making margaritas…' Peyton said, eyeing her sister suspiciously. 'Shay, why don't you go help him, I need to find Jake, if he's here.' Shane frowned, and she felt jealousy briefly flare inside her, before she pushed past some guy carrying a keg.  
  
'UGH!' Shane howled as she entered the kitchen, which had not yet been taken over by the crowd. Luke looked up from the blender which was now whirling on the counter.  
  
'What's up? Not enjoying your party?' he asked grimacing. She shook her head, coming to stand beside him.  
  
'No shit. My sister is being retarded, which I normally don't mind. She won't face her fear and just talk to you, even though I KNOW she wants to. And she's making this big effort to find Jake…' she trailed off at the last part, seething slightly. Luke raised an eyebrow, and a small smile graced his face.  
  
'Jake? Jake Jageilski?' Shane turned beet red. 'You have a thing for Jake huh? Not surprising…' he said still smiling as he turned the blender off. Shane sighed.  
  
'It's not going to happen. I think he's into Peyton…' she said as she picked up an apple and bit into it. Luke frowned slightly.  
  
'Really? Him and Peyton…?' To Shane's surprise, Luke sounded genuinely shocked.  
  
'Yeah… I thought it was pretty obvious. Guess not.' She said peeling off the apple skin. Luke tried to sound nonchalant.  
  
'I guess…I just thought they were good friends and…' he trailed off. But Shane didn't wait before filling in the blank.  
  
'You figured she was too hung up on you to check out anyone else.' Luke returned to pouring the blender's contents into a huge jug. Shane nodded. 'Ego much?'  
  
'Now that I think about it, I was kind of stupid back a year ago.' He said as he shook the pitcher to get the last of the margaritas out. 'I was always so sure that even if I dumped someone, if I really wanted to I could just go back and have it all again.' He heaved a deep sigh that rippled through the air.   
  
'You were pretty dumb if you thought that'd work with Peyton…' Shane agreed. He rolled his eyes.  
  
'Thanks, I feel so much better now.'  
  
'Ooooh… sarcasm… that's new for you. Actually, any humor at all seems to be new with you.' She quickly shot back before popping some apple peel in her mouth. 'You screwed up man. You have to pay your dues.'  
  
'I know.' He said, a hint of frustration in his voice as he braced his hands on the counter. 'I just didn't think it'd be this hard.' He admitted. Shane frowned before hopping up on the counter and sitting cross-legged.  
  
'What do you mean?' she asked popping some more apple peel in her mouth. He shrugged.  
  
'The truth is, when I came back to Tree Hill…it wasn't because of Peyton.' Shane frowned at this revelation but didn't interrupt him. 'I came to see Haley.' Shane's eyes widened at this.  
  
'What?' was all she could muster. He shook his head standing up fully as he raked a large hand through his hair. 'What do you mean you came to see Haley?'  
  
'Did Peyton tell you that Nathan and Haley were married last year?' he asked turning to her with desperate eyes. Shane shook her head slowly. 'My best friend and my brother, who had been my enemy for most of last year…it blew my mind when I found out…' he turned at this and began pacing the kitchen.  
  
'So…so why did you need to see Haley?' she was almost too afraid to ask. Her stomach felt like it had just dropped out of her and a hollow feeling of impending doom was settling in its stead.   
  
'I haven't told anyone…' Luke muttered, his back still to Shane.   
  
'Lucas, why did you need to see Haley?' her voice sounded desperate now. She knew this wasn't really her business, but she needed to know. For Peyton.  
  
Luke sighed before slowly turning to face her. 'I thought I was in love with her.' 


	7. Green Rain

Peyton comes back from summer break with a surprise. And that surprise has decided to mix things up. Romance: P/L, N/H and Brooke is a surprise… Maybe even Shane will find a little love?  
  
Author: Mickey (or Stokely)  
  
Rating: R (for later)  
  
Chapter: Seven. The Party Part II.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, WB does…damn them.  
  
Musical Choices for this Chapter (download these if you can, I PROMISE these are the BEST songs ever! Especially if you like the stuff on One Tree Hill):   
  
Savage by the Beastie Boys  
  
Shut Up by Black Eyed Peas  
  
Shoot the Moon by Norah Jones  
  
Letters to God by Boxcar Racer  
  
Rant (SPOILERS!!): Not much on the home front in terms of rants. I think I've said it all, and considering there won't be anymore new episodes till September (tear) I doubt I'll be ranting much anyway. So sit back and enjoy my story, even though it will never make it on the show anyway. Lots of jumping to conclusions in this chapter…I think that it stays true to One Tree Hill in that way.  
  
Hats off, Mickey  
  
'W-what?' Shane stuttered out, her mouth agape as she stared at a shamefaced Lucas. 'Haley?' He nodded, his eyes opening slowly to take in Shane's expression of complete and utter horror. 'So…do you?' she asked with a frown.  
  
'I don't know.' He admitted, 'I don't think so. I guess when I left Tree Hill the least of my concerns was Peyton. But then when I got back and she wasn't here… I felt the void.' He shrugged.  
  
'But Haley…Haley's still with Nathan.' Luke rolled his eyes. 'But you knew that, of course…' she wound a strand of hair around her index finger. 'But I thought Hales was just your best friend.'  
  
'She was! Is! I don't know…' he struggled inside of himself, trying to find the words to express his feelings. 'I guess it all goes back to when we were younger. I always liked her. I knew she loved me. I just thought that if I ever wanted her that way…well I figured I had time.' He wiped his face with his hand. 'And then when I came over to Nathan's and she was there and they'd had sex and gotten married…it sort of clued me in that she wasn't all mine anymore…'  
  
'Maybe you don't love her then.' He looked up at her, a frown firmly etched on his face. 'No, I mean, you love her, but you're not IN love with her.' The frown relaxed slightly, but he waited for her to continue. 'Maybe you were just afraid that because she and Nathan were married, that meant you wouldn't see her anymore.'  
  
'Maybe.' He agreed, though he didn't look thoroughly convinced.  
  
'What about Peyton?' Shane asked as she polished off the apple peel she'd been munching nervously. 'Are you in love with her?' Lucas' eyes shot up to meet Shay's.  
  
'I…' he hesitated.   
  
'Just answer.' Shane said throwing the uneaten apple to him. He caught it and looked down at it.  
  
'Yes.' He admitted. 'I think I am.' The confession left his chest feeling lighter, if only for a few moments. 'But she just wants to be friends.' Suddenly the weight was intensified and his chest was heavy again.  
  
'Give her time. She'll come around.'   
  
'That's the thing, what if she doesn't? What if she can't ever love me again?' Silence. Shane's mouth opened but no sound came out. How could she promise him everything would be fine, when she didn't know for sure herself?  
  
How much luck did she have in love? She'd never had a family that hadn't abandoned her. She'd never met anyone like Lucas who'd wanted to make thinks work so much. How could she promise him his heart wouldn't be broken?  
  
'Shane, get out here!' The two of them looked up to see Haley beckoning the two of them to come out and party. 'You're wanted on the dance floor!'  
  
'Okay.' Shane said, before Haley was tugged along by Nathan. Shane saw Lucas smile slightly, but she wondered if it wasn't a bitter smile. 'You never told me,' Lucas looked back at her, 'why Nathan and Hales didn't stay married.'  
  
'Lots of things. Family issues. Plus Hales didn't know if she was really ready. But she was sure that she loved Nathan enough to wait for him, if he could wait for her.' He grimaced, setting the uneaten apple down on the counter. And that was when she understood.  
  
'Don't worry Luke. It'll happen for you. That, I can promise you.' She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.  
  
Peyton opened her eyes to see that Brad Coultrain was still going on and on about how it wasn't fair that basketball got more attention than soccer. But her eyes quickly shifted from Brad's dull brown eyes and even duller voice, to a scene that made her instantly tense.   
  
Her sister had Lucas by the hand and was saying something quietly to him. This is what caught her attention, but what made her mouth drop open was when Shane leaned up and pecked one handsomely angled cheek. Peyton felt a deep cold settle over her as she drew her arms closer around herself. The two exchanged small smiles before Shane turned and walked out into the living room toward Haley, Nathan, and a dancing crowd.  
  
How could she do this? How could she hit on Lucas when she knew, when she KNEW that I'm in love with him?! Peyton thought wildly to herself. What if they're both into each other? And Lucas won't wait because I was so stupid and told him we're just friends… maybe Shane's taking advantage of that…  
  
Peyton was so wrapped up in watching her sister incredulously, that she hadn't noticed that Brad had vacated his chair, and that someone else was now sitting in it.  
  
'Hey, why so sour?' she looked back to Jake, who was now comfortably seated beside her.  
  
'I'm not.' She said in a childish tone. Jake laughed as he put his arm around her. When he saw that she was glaring down at her knees, her arms tightly wound around her, his expression turned somber.  
  
'Come on Peyt, you can talk to me.' His grip around her shoulder tightened and her eyes connected with his. She sighed quietly before standing up.  
  
'Can we just go somewhere else?' He stood too, his expression one of confusion. 'Anywhere but here.' He nodded, following her obediently as she bulldozed her way through the crowd, toward her room. As they rounded a corner, out of sight, Shane looked on.  
  
So that was it then. Not only was Peyton going to hurt Lucas, she wanted to hurt her only sister as well. Shane felt her heart exploding with the knowledge that the only person in the world who'd ever cared enough to call her was trying to break her heart.  
  
FLASHBACK   
  
'So I had a really great time. You're the best bad chauffeur I've ever had.' Jake grinned at this. It was six, and they'd spent the whole day together, talking and playing. He was surprised when they'd gone to the basketball courts and she'd put up a good fight, losing to him by only one basket. Something else he'd realized of her was that, as much as she had aspects of Peyton down to a T, she had a spirit of her own.  
  
'Yeah. I'll definitely have to do this again.' He answered as he stared down at her softly glowing countenance. Her pearly white smile broke over her face as she shyly looked down at their feet. They were standing in her driveway and she could hear the soft insistent chirping of crickets beginning and the hum of streetlamps as they turned on.  
  
'Well, I guess I better get inside. Peyton's going to kill me if I don't help her set up.' She really didn't want to go inside. Her and her big mouth setting up a stupid party.  
  
'I should go get ready too, and I'll come right back.' He promised. Okay, maybe the party was looking a little better now.  
  
'Sounds like a plan.' She said nodding her head. Their eyes met and they simply stood in silence. 'I-' Shane cleared her throat. 'I better get inside.' He nodded mutely as she turned her back to him and began walking toward her porch. Then suddenly she stopped and turned.  
  
But he was already behind her, a few inches away, leaning down toward her. Her initial surprise faded as he brushed his lips against hers, and her eyes fell shut as she returned the chaste kiss. As he broke away, they both looked dreamily into each others faces.  
  
'You have to go.' He said softly.   
  
'Huh?'  
  
'You have to go inside.' He said with a soft smirk, his brown eyes dancing with delight.  
  
'Oh. Oh yeah. Right. I better…go…' but she had already placed her hands on his chest and was leaning up to kiss the side of his mouth, and then his bottom lip. His lips hummed against hers as a small moan drifted up from his chest. They broke apart again.  
  
'I really need to go inside.'  
  
'I know.' He leaned down and this time his arms found their way down to her hips as hers grasped the back of his neck. They had one last, long kiss, one that was deeper and more passionate than the last. This time they broke apart, and Shane was blushing furiously.  
  
'Okay. I REALLY need to go get ready now.' He grinned down at her. 'I'll see you at the party though.' She added as she broke from his embrace and sauntered up the porch steps and into her house. He stared after her a few moments, an idiotic grin on his face.  
  
END OF FLASHBACK   
  
Shane bit her lip, as she continued to stare at the corner that Peyton and Jake had rounded together. Toward her room. God, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they were doing. And that was what made Shane feel like she was being torn apart.  
  
She'd never opened up to a guy before. In her life, she'd made out with guys before, but she'd never hung out with them, and kissed them the way she had with Jake. She had feelings for him, as hard as it was to say why or how. But she cared for him. And he was with the only other person she loved in her life. Her sister.  
  
She felt Haley tug on her arm as the crowd around her danced to the heavy bass beat of 'The Jump Off'. But Shane shrugged off Haley's grip and pushed her way out of the group, heading straight for the front door.  
  
Hales watched bewildered as Shay raced to the door and flung it open, and closed it behind her. She scanned the crowd for any sign of Peyton, but when she saw no blonde curly head, she felt the pit of her stomach turn. She frowned deeply before she kissed Nathan on the cheek and whispered that she needed to talk to him for a second.  
  
Nathan followed her off the 'dance floor' and over to the couch, where she sat them down and leaned in close to whisper in his ear. He nodded, his face grave, before standing again and walking into the kitchen, to find Lucas.  
  
A few people had filtered into the kitchen and where sifting through the contents of the Sawyer fridge, as Lucas looked on. He had already downed the pitcher full of margaritas, and was chasing it with a beer. He wanted to be drunk. He wanted to forget everything. But he still felt so sober because the pain was still present in his heart.  
  
'Hey man.' Nathan offered up as he came to stand next to Luke. 'Where's Peyton?' Luke shrugged in a defeated manner.  
  
'Don't know. Don't care.' He knew he didn't mean it but it felt a bit better to let on that Peyton meant nothing to him.   
  
'We have to find her. Shane just ran out of here and she looked upset.' Lucas looked up at this, and Nathan nodded. 'Hales is worried.'  
  
'Maybe in her room.' Lucas said as he set his beer bottle down. Nathan nodded.  
  
'I'll check the backyard. Do you want Hales to help you search the house?' Lucas winced inside. The fact that his brother trusted him so much with the girl he loved…it sort of hit home what a bastard he was for even considering telling Hales he loved her as more than a friend.  
  
'Nah, she should stay and look after the party.' He knew she wouldn't want to, after Nathan's last year, but it was better than being alone with her when he was half drunk.  
  
'Alright, we gotta find Peyton soon, I hope Shane's alright.' Lucas nodded and the two brother's headed off in different directions to search for Peyton.  
  
'I just can't believe it Jake.' Peyton said, her voice cracking slightly as she confessed everything to him. 'I can't believe I was so stupid. I don't want to be 'just friends. I want to be with him.' Jake nodded, feeling so badly for Peyton. His eyes showed that his sympathy was true and she was silently grateful.  
  
'Tell him.' He said simply. 'He'll understand. He's a good guy. Sometimes people make bad choices, and you did, but he knows what its like. He'd be a fool not to take you back.' She smiled at him, as he patted her knee.  
  
'Thanks. Sometimes I wish that it had been us that had gotten together. You'd be the best boyfriend ever.' They both laughed. And then it was gone. That block, barrier, unidentified thing that had been in between them all this time. They loved each other. But they were just friends. That was it. All the time they'd wondered what it would be like to BE together…it was just a dream.  
  
'Come here.' He grabbed her arm and pulled her over to him and they hugged each other, Peyton gently placing her head in the crook of his neck. 'I love you Peyt.'  
  
'Love you too Jake.' She said smiling happily into his shoulder.  
  
Luke watched this transpire and he felt himself go rigid, his muscles screaming as they clenched. He watched them hug and confess their love to each other. His jaw was tight and the dry walls of his throat stuck together. If he were any less of a man he would have broken down and cried. Instead he turned away, the sliver of light that slipped through the crack in Peyton's door illuminating the hard lines of his stiff back.  
  
He walked dejectedly down the hall where Haley was waiting impatiently, her face one of worry, her arms folded tightly over her chest as she tapped her foot impatiently. When Lucas walked past her, she was incensed.   
  
'Where's Peyton?' she asked grabbing his arm.  
  
'Her room.' He answered softly. Haley let his arm go, and watched as he walked toward the door, opened it and didn't even bother to close it, as he walked down the porch steps and on to the wet lawn. A haze of green rain fell from the sky, and he felt a shiver rip through his body as he continued to walk down the street, ignoring Haley's calls from the front door of Peyton Sawyer's house. 


End file.
